With an impressive 30-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks this past Sunday night, the Green Bay Packers improved to 10-4 on the season and moved one step closer to clinching a spot in the NFL Playoffs for a second straight year.
Two games back of both the Detroit Lions (12-2) and Minnesota Vikings (12-2) in the NFC North, the Packers are still technically alive in the division race but would need a minor miracle to win it, as the lone scenario involves an improbable tie between the Lions and Vikings in Week 18. Suffice it to say, that's just not going to happen.
That said, however, a wild-card berth is essentially guaranteed at this point.
While two games behind Minnesota in the chase for the No. 5 seed, Green Bay enters Week 16 in the No. 6 slot and owns a one-game lead on the Washington Commanders, who sit in the No. 7 position at 9-5.
In regards to those currently on the outside looking in, the Packers hold a two-game lead on the Seahawks (No. 8, 8-6) and obviously also now own the head-to-head tiebreaker with Seattle if things come to that.
The Los Angeles Rams, who are also 8-6, also own a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Seahawks at this point (the two teams have their second meeting in Week 18), which is why they're technically in first place in the NFC West and hold the No. 4 seed.
But as nobody has clinched that division yet, all are still a part of the wild-card race, so Green Bay has a two-game edge on the Rams as well.
Getting back to those on the outside, the Packers have a three-game lead on both the Atlanta Falcons (No. 9, 7-7) and Arizona Cardinals (No. 10, 7-7), with Atlanta being the only one of the two that could catch them, as Green Bay holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with Arizona.
So, the Packers are in great shape. And if they get the right kind of help on Sunday, their postseason ticket could already be punched by the time they take the field on Monday night against the New Orleans Saints.
How the Packers clinch a playoff spot in Week 16
The one constant in the two scenarios that could get the Packers into the playoffs on Sunday is the Falcons, who will have Michael Penix Jr. and not Kirk Cousins under center, taking a loss or tie to the New York Giants.
If one of those occurs, Green Bay would then need the Rams to take a loss or tie to the New York Jets or the Seahawks to lose to or tie the Vikings.
If none of these scenarios play out, a Packers win or tie against the Saints on Monday Night Football still gets the job done on its own.
- Falcons lose/tie vs. Giants + Rams lose/tie vs. Jets
- Falcons lose/tie vs. Giants + Seahawks lose/tie vs. Vikings
- Packers win/tie vs. Saints